Everything Changes
by ebonfirefly
Summary: Satoshi thinks about where his friendship with Shigeru stands.


Title: Everything Changes

Rating: K / PG

Summary: I know I should probably be mad at Shigeru for some of the things he's done in the past, but I'm not.

Notes: Satoshi's POV. My first venture into writing Pokémon fanfiction, so I hope it's okay. If I have any errors, please let me know. I promise not to bite your head off, so long as you don't just tell me my story sucks without telling me why.

And yes, I know the title sucks. I hate thinking of titles. Very rarely does the perfect title strike me. If you can think of something better, let me know.

Disclaimer: Trust me, I don't own them. You don't want to sue me for this, either; I'm broke.

Have I missed anything?

---

_I hear Kenji announce the start of the battle, but his voice sounds distant; my mind is too focused on Shigeru and his Erekibu. Before I even call my first attack, I can tell this won't be an easy win._

"_Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" I shout._

_Shigeru follows my lead. "Erekibu! Thunderbolt!"_

_Erekibu and Pikachu seem pretty evenly matched when it comes to pure electricity, I note, but this isn't just about power. Erekibu can't possibly be as fast as Pikachu! "Quick Attack!" I'm sure that Pikachu can't miss; Erekibu doesn't look like it's going anywhere._

_Just in the nick of time, Shigeru orders Erekibu to dodge, but to my surprise, Erekibu jumps, taking itself high into the air. "Iron Tail!" Shigeru commands. Inwardly, I grin. Two can play that game!_

"_Iron Tail!" Even there, the pokémon are equally strong. I wasn't wrong when I thought this would be tough. Just then, an idea forms. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt again!" Yet again, Shigeru orders Erekibu to dodge, just as I expected; in the air, Erekibu is vulnerable. "Volt Tackle!"_

_Shigeru's just as calm as ever, though. Maybe I haven't thought this through completey? Is there something I'm missing?_

"_How naïve," he mutters. I want to be angry at him for it, but for some reason I think maybe he's right "Erekibu, Protect!" Pikachu is knocked back by Erekibu's barrier, and Shigeru give his last command: "Thunder Punch!" I know it's the end before the hit ever makes contact.  
_

_I've lost to Shigeru again, but this time feels different that all the others. I don't feel much like I lost. Possibly it's because my own loss isn't followed up with harsh insults and degrading comments._

_As I cradle Pikachu in my arms, Shigeru calls my name. "Don't get too happy with your achievement in the Battle Frontier," he warns. "You don't know how many strong pokémon dwell in the Shinou region." I stare up at him, completely at a loss for words. Did he agree to this battle just to make sure I keep my guard up?_

It's been more than a month since that battle, but it stands out in my mind as if it were just yesterday. The look Shigeru had on his face through the whole battle… it was like he just _had_ to win, if only to prove a point. Only, instead of the usual point – 'you're a loser and you'll always be a loser' – he wanted to make sure I didn't get too cocky and let my guard down. It may have been slightly hypocritical of him to make sure _I_ wasn't too cocky, but Shigeru's always been that way. He's always gone out of his way to make sure I'm alright, even when we were rivals. Sure, it didn't seem like it then, but his challenging me is what kept me going. He made sure I didn't give up on my dream.

I've been wondering where he is. I know he said he was coming to the Shinou region – which is, in fact, the only reason I'm here in the first place – but we haven't run into each other. It's not all that strange though; we rarely saw each other anywhere else, either. I wonder if he's enjoying his research. I would be lying through my teeth if I said it surprised me that he decided to become a researcher; he always did love listening to Ookido-hakase talk about his studies. Then again, Shigeru loves battling, too. It would take a blind man to miss the fire in his eyes when he's calling out attacks. Maybe it's a part of his research, seeing how different pokémon adapt to different situations.

To be honest, I've been thinking a lot about Shigeru lately – as if that isn't obvious. He was (and still is) such a motivating factor in my life that it's hard to _not_ think about him. Takeshi, Kasumi, even Hiroshi, who I rarely see, but still consider one of my closest friends… they're great, but it's not the same.

They weren't there to teach me when I was seven years old and was the only kid in town who didn't know how to ride a bike. They didn't come to my rescue when I was being picked on by bullies twice my size at the playground.

Then again, _they_ also didn't turn on me for apparently no reason the day I got Pikachu. They didn't continue to relentlessly tease and taunt me for the next three years after the fact.

I know I should probably be mad at Shigeru for some of the things he's done in the past, but I'm not. They're _in the past_, after all, and he truly seemed sorry when we buried the hatchet.

And besides, I doubt I'd be as far as I am in training if he hadn't pushed me to become better and better those first few years. He pushed me, so I pushed myself. He wouldn't accept failure, so I didn't, and that's just how it was. If we had stayed close, I don't know if I would've pushed myself enough to make it this far. I would've always had Shigeru to fall back on if I got too depressed with my abilities. I guess I needed for him to bring me down so that I could teach myself to get back up.

I don't really think Kasumi and Takeshi understood that then, and I know they probably still think of him as a self-centered brat, but that's because they don't fully understand the friendship I had with Shigeru before we set out on our adventures. Even before we became trainers, we were competitive, especially with each other. In fact, we argued and fought so much that everybody wondered how we'd become best friends in the first place. We _were_ best friends, though; that worked for us. It seemed we both needed someone to keep us on our toes, someone to make our lives more interesting, and we accomplished that for each other. Our families may not have completely understood it, but as long as we were happy, they didn't question it.

Even after all this time, Shigeru is still the most important friend I've ever had. He understands me in ways that Kasumi and Takeshi never fully will, even if they have traveled with me more than anybody else.

It probably isn't fair to them that I keep comparing them to Shigeru, but I can't help it. Like I said, Shigeru has always been the driving force in my life.

"Satoshi…?" Takeshi's voice breaks through my thoughts. Apparently, this hiding spot I've found tonight isn't as clever as I thought. Then again, I wasn't trying too hard. I just wanted to be alone for awhile.

"Satoshi, you should be asleep," he reminds me, going into big-brother mode, as usual. I want to protest that I can take care of myself, but I don't feel like arguing right now.

"I couldn't sleep, even if I tried."

He sits down next to me in the clearing, and despite the fact that I didn't really want company, it's kind of comforting. "Want to talk about whatever it is that's on your mind?"

I glance at him briefly. "Honestly? I don't know if you'd understand." I wince; that didn't come out as gentle as I'd have liked.

Takeshi just laughs it off though. He's pretty used to my slip-ups. At least I don't have to worry about him slapping me around like Kasumi used to.

"So, which one is it this time?"

I frown. "Huh?" Oh, that's great. Maybe next time I'll try for two syllables.

Takeshi looks thoughtful for a second. "Well, I can count on one hand the number of people that get you this pensive."

"Oh." He has a point. Usually I'm _not_ this lost in my thoughts. "It's Shigeru."

"Shigeru? Really? When was the last time you even _saw_ him?"

"We battled in Masara before I came here." I'm being very vague, but I think he understands anyway. He has a knack for reading people.

"How did it go?"

I raise an eyebrow. I know he already knows the outcome, so why is he asking me? "I lost."

Takeshi nods. "Are you okay with that?"

I pause, turning that question over in my mind, then answer. "Yes, I think so. I mean, I'm used to losing to him, but it felt different this time. The whole battle was different. It was like he was trying to teach me a lesson – a _real_ lesson. It was like he was trying to warn me."

He frowns thoughtfully. "Warn you? How do you mean?"

"You know how I tend to get a little over-confident after I win battles?" I laugh a little nervously. "I was getting a little cocky from winning the Battle Frontier, so I kind of let my guard down. He called me naïve, and after his Erekibu gave Pikachu a thorough thrashing, he told me that I didn't know what kinds of pokémon are in Shinou and to not get too happy with my accomplishment."

"It sounds to me like he's trying to protect you without actually being here. Maybe you two have finally left the past where it belongs." Maybe he understands better than I thought; he's pretty much hit the nail on the head. It still doesn't explain why I've been thinking so much about this lately. I rest my chin on my hand. Now I'm back to the beginning.

A few moments pass in silence before Takeshi breaks it. "Shigeru was you first friend, right? And your closest before your rivalry?" I nod. "What would you do to get that friendship back to how it was before?"

"I don't know," I answer with a sigh. "I don't think we can go back to exactly how we were before. We were kids, Takeshi, and that was over eight years ago. We've both changed a lot since then."

"Well, maybe that is what's bothering you, then: you want that back, yet you know you can't have it. Have you ever thought that maybe it's a good thing you and Shigeru have changed so much? You've both matured enough so that now you can have a _real_ friendship, instead of a child's friendship. You're able to be honest with each other and encourage one another, instead of focusing solely on what _you_ want. Do you understand what I'm saying? The friendship you had with Shigeru before was great, but it would've changed eventually, anyway. Now, at least, you don't have to worry anymore; you've made it through the toughest part."

I hadn't thought about it that way. It makes sense, though, and he's probably right. Suddenly I feel a lot better than I did before; Takeshi is surprisingly good at talking people through their problems.

"So," he begins out of the blue. "What's Erekibu?"

I laugh at the abrupt subject change. It seems like it's been months since the last time I _really_ laughed.


End file.
